Dear Neighbors,
I hope you are enjoying your summer. It’s been a few rough weeks for our country and our state. It seems like every day we hear more bad news about events around the country. While I have a heavy heart each time I hear of tragedies and deaths, I’m heartened by the responses I’ve seen where we come together to peacefully share our sadness.
A lot has been happening around the Capitol since my last update. Here is some information I would like to share with you:
Special Session Update
The legislature adjourned about two months ago without final action on important legislation for Minnesota families. As you may recall, both the bonding bill and tax bill that passed the House in the final moments of session had significant errors and did not become law. The bonding bill’s failure to pass was particularly regrettable, as it contained significant investments for Duluth, including the steam plant, the airport, and the science building at UMD.
It’s my hope that legislators from both parties can come together in a Special Session to resolve our unfinished work in a way that best serves the people of Minnesota. That means fixing the tax bill so we can help hardworking Minnesotans, passing a bonding bill that includes vital improvement projects across the state, and addressing our long-term transportation needs.
To that end, Governor Dayton and legislative leaders met last week to re-start negotiations. Although no compromise was reached, all sides have agreed to continue working toward a potential special session. The leaders also pledged to hold public hearings as we move forward on outstanding legislative issues. This is important. One of the reasons we are in this unfortunate situation is that during the regular session too much was happening behind closed doors without public input. We must not repeat that mistake during a special session.
I am hopeful that in the coming weeks we can reach a compromise and get the work of the people finished.
Recent Violence
The last couple of weeks have been extremely difficult, to say the least. Our hearts have been broken in the wake of the tragic events in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, Dallas, and Nice. We must all come together to identify the root causes of this violence and foster positive environments in our communities so this does not continue to occur.
Much work remains in front of us. Amidst the divisions and tensions, there is a reality in our communities that people of color are treated differently in many areas, and especially within our criminal justice system. We also need to recognize the courageous contributions of law enforcement, who put themselves in dangerous situations every day to ensure our safety.
A lot of what this comes down to is trust. Part of strengthening this trust is surely improving relationships with one another, but another big part of it is our capacity to affect change through public policy. I’m hopeful we can consider some reforms, education, and training for law enforcement to better deescalate situations. We also need to improve upon this past session’s work and take much greater steps to reduce racial disparities. To do this, we will all need to work together, and I hope to be part of the solution.
Last Update
This will be my last update until after the November elections. A state law prohibits legislators from using our official offices to proactively send out information to constituents after this week. I still, however, can respond to e-mails, letters or phone calls sent to me by constituents. I can also attend and would be happy to attend any community events, tour your business or meet with your organization.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any issues, questions, concerns or events. I look forward to visiting with you in person over the coming months.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Schultz
State Representative